Frozen Southern Milk Punch Recipe

Frosty New Orleans staple to serve at a party

Welcome to Frozen Drinks Week on Food Republic. We’re excited to bring you a bunch of stories that will make surviving the summer heat a little more — spirited. Along with contributing to Food Republic, Kara Newman is the spirits editor of Wine Enthusiast and authority in the shaking and stirring of drinks game. She is the author of the incredibly useful Cocktails for a Crowd, a book that explains the art of “cocktail batching” among other things. We asked her for her favorite frozen drink and she sent us a New Orleans classic.

I first tried milk punch in New Orleans, where it’s a Sunday brunch staple and every bar and restaurant has its own version, often shaken or blended with ice. For a large group, try this tantalizing rendition, which is frozen to a pleasingly slushy consistency. Although it takes at least three hours to freeze, it can be left in the freezer up to a day. Plus, this method doesn’t contain added ice, so there’s no additional water to dilute the drink.

Note that this punch should be served in chilled cocktail glasses or wine goblets, so plan ahead and put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Boozy, frozen milk punch has been a New Orleans brunch tradition for years.

Servings:12

Ingredients

4 1/2 cupshalf-and-half

1 3/4 cupsbrandy

1/2 cupTuaca

1/4 cuppowdered sugar

1 teaspoonvanilla extract

freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Directions:

In a large bowl or pitcher that will hold at least 8 cups of liquid, combine the half-and-half, brandy, Tuaca, powdered sugar and vanilla and stir well. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours, until slightly frozen.

Just before serving, stir the mixture to make it slightly slushy. If it has been sitting in the freezer for longer than 4 hours and is more firmly frozen, use a metal spoon to scrape the top layer into a slush, breaking it up into small pieces. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture softens to a pourable consistency.